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Embertalon Clan
Formally calling the Jade Forest their home, the now nearly-extinct Embertalon Clan took residence in a cliff-side grove, as well as inside the cliff itself; the village of Jiangbei. Their reclusive lifestyle as well as their well-hidden homes lead to most of Pandaria's other inhabitants to regard them as a legend, usually told to children to keep them from wandering off and getting lost in the Jade Forest, as their culture and brutality in general was more than enough to keep it that way. Their current leader is Huquan Embertalon , the daughter of Chengzhao Embertalon, former chieftain of the Clan. Culture The Embertalon is known for their love of hunting, and the fact that they don't use bows or guns to do so. They also have various different traditions and celebrations for a collection of occasions. Rite of Passage When a member of the clan reaches the age of fifteen, they are sent into the forest with only civilian clothing to protect them and claw gauntlets created from bamboo, wood, and leather to deal damage. Their goal is to hunt and kill a tiger by sunset, and return with the beast's skull, paw, or pelt. If they return with one of said trophies, they are regarded as an adult from then on. If they are empty handed, they are treated lower than the rest of the clan and get to try again the year after. Brew Embertalon Brew is made using powdered yeti tusks, honey, witchberries, barley, and goat's milk. While it is a strange mixture of ingredients, it shares a taste similar to Dwarven beer. However, it is an acquired taste; not because of its actual taste, but because most people think that yeti tusks are really gross. Armor and Weapons Embertalon pandaren are known for their talent in forging armor and weapons from natural resources as well as ores almost as much as they are known for their hunting skills. Embertalon armor is usually made with Mushan hide or Kunchong carapace, and is orange in color, but is very easy to customize. Most hunters wearing this armor will decorate it with trophies from their previous battles, such as claws, teeth, or skulls. However, only certain types of these hunters may wear a Beast Visage, which is a mask crafted from an animal's skull; the animal depends on the hunter's reputation. The hierarchy goes as follows: * The Saurok skull is reserved for only the Chieftain of the Embertalon. There is only one Saurok Visage; it has been passed down since the very first Chieftain, until the destruction of Jiangbei, where it was either lost or destroyed. * The Tiger skull is the most honorable mask one can receive without being a member of the Chieftain's bloodline. It is usually worn by the offspring of the Chieftain until he passes his own mask down. It is also worn by nobles and heroes of the village. * The Crocolisk skull is reserved for the guards and soldiers of the village only. It is more of a helmet than an actual mask due to the length of a crocolisk's snout. * The Wolf skull is given to apprentice hunters that are learning from the more experienced of their clan. Huquan gave one to Natasha Greyson as not only a gift, but to confirm that she would teach Natasha to hunt like an Embertalon. Embertalon hunters prefer not use guns or crossbows, although Jiangbei's guards and soldiers will use standard bows. Instead, they use claw gauntlets forged from Pyrosteel, a metal made from mixing molten Ghost Iron with Kyparite amber. It is similar to steel, but it is orange in color and can be ignited. Claws are not their only weapons. Weaponry used for hunting and combat ranges from bolas, machetes, javelins, spears, clubs, blowguns, and even scythes. History As one of the oldest clans on Pandaria as well as one of the most unknown, Embertalon history is still in research by archaeologists, as it is quite hard to find even one of only five particular Pandaren on Azeroth's whole. 'Origination' When the mogu ruled Pandaria and enslaved all mortal races, a few brave Pandaren risked their lives to escape the tyranny. Leading these Pandaren was Jiangyan Embertalon, who was known best for using the very chains that he had been bound in to kill a Mogu slave lord. He had fled the construction site of the Serpent's Spine and into what is now the Dread Wastes. When he and his followers had heard of the revolution against Lei Shen's empire, Jiangyan had another one of his tricks up his sleeve. Using Kyparite and Ghost Iron, he smelted a new metal; Pyrosteel. Pyrosteel was named not because of its garnet tone, but because of its flammable properties. The Pandaren made it into a pair of wrist plates, each armed with a pair of Pyrosteel blades. Jiangyan created more of these wrist blades, handing them to his comrades to fight against the Mogu. By the time that Pandaria was free, Jiangyan was a father as well as the Chieftain of the now-nomadic Embertalon Clan. As time went on, Jiangyan died of old age, and his clan had walked all the way across Pandaria, eventually constructing a village on a cliff-side grove in the Jade Forest. This village was called Jiangbei in honor of their leader. 'Recent History' When the mists that blanketed Pandaria drifted away, the arrival of the Alliance and the Horde caught the Embertalon off guard. When a Horde airship crashed into Jiangbei, the village was obliterated, and most of the inhabitants were killed in the explosion, including the current Chieftain, Chengzhao Embertalon. However, his daughter, Huquan Embertalon, had survived the chaos. Now the new Chieftain of the Embertalon Clan, which was now only five surviving Pandaren out of 240 individuals, Huquan wandered into Kun-Lai, eventually finding the Huofeng Province, where Yulan Firewind, the Firelord of Huofeng, gave the last five Embertalon refuge. While the other four had joined the guard or military, Huquan found herself a place in the Court Sentinels. However, this is not all. Huquan enhanced her Pyrosteel gauntlets when she was educated in the art of Firewalking, which ignited a monk's chi energy via a fire spirit. She had given a whole new meaning to the name "Embertalon." Hunting Hunting is one of the most (if not the most) important activities in Embertalon existence. However, there is more behind hunting to an Embertalon than one would think. 'Code of the Hunt' "A hunter is brave. To a hunter, fear can be many things. It can be a tool, used to overcome their prey. It can be a weapon, assaulting minds with the force of a Yaungol's strike. However, the most important use of fear is a test. To a hunter, fear is a test of their willpower. It is a test to see if they are willing to let nothing control them but themselves. A hunter does not back down and fights to the end, even if the end is their own. '' ''I, name, am brave. "A hunter is honorable. They do not look up to their prey, nor do they look down at them. Every form of life to a hunter is an equal. The smallest mouse, the wisest crane, the stealthiest tiger, the strongest yeti; all are equals to the hunter. They will only hunt if the prey given to them is in worthy conditions. They know the difference between killing and murdering. I, name, am honorable. A hunter is respectful. While a hunter takes pride in their quarry, they do not boast. Trophies remind all of their previous achievements, but a hunter does not take remains from their own kind. They are respectful to their kin, their friends, their foes, no matter the role they potray in the hunter's life. A hunter does not bow to anyone, be it the most noble of royalty or the lowest of beggars, but will still show respect regardless of titles. I, name, am respectful. I am brave. I am honorable. I am respectful. I am a hunter. 'Trophies' Trophies are memorabilia created when a hunter carves or takes a part from their quarry. While the most popular and prized trophy is a skull, there are many other things that a hunter can choose to claim, such as tails, hands, claws, teeth, etc. The only species that the hunter is not allowed to take a trophy from is another pandaren; while actual reasons are unknown, from observation it appears that it is a sort of taboo to the Embertalon. 'Creating a Trophy Skull' After the skull is removed (via carving or other methods that involve less civilized actions), it is cleansed of blood. The hunter does this using powdered quartz mixed with normal water, which not only cleans off the blood, but polishes the actual skull. After it is cleaned, the hunter usually mounts it in their lair, which can be in many ways, such as impaling, hanging, hooking, or simply just placing it on an object. Hunters carry a special pouch for unpolished skulls, nicknamed "Illidan's Handbag" by several Alliance sailors. Clean skulls are often put on the belt or a sash across the hunter's chest. 'Trophy Vault' Trophy vaults are caverns used for storage of trophies, most notably larger ones too large to be worn on a belt or sash; yaungol skulls and horns are good examples. They are often very large, comparable to Stormwind Keep. While there were none in Jiangbei itself, Huquan had made one from a yeti's cave near Huofeng. 'Hunting Restrictions' The Code of the Hunt states that "They hunter will only hunt if the prey given to them is in worthy conditions. They know the difference between killing and murdering." This means that hunters will not attack if their foe is one of the following. *Pregnant *Injured (prior to the encounter) *Terminally ill (example: if the target has an illness that will kill them at some point in time, they are safe) *Unarmed *Elderly The only time that a hunter is able to honorably disobey this part of the code is if they are attacked first. Even so, they are not allowed to collect a trophy, and it is out of self defense. Category:Great Firewind Category:Pandaren Clans